05/18/2011

How did Roland-Garros come to be? Why is it named after an aviator? In what year was the tournament first held?

The late 1970s and early 1980s were a magical era for tennis in general, and Roland-Garros in particular.

To win at Roland Garros, it almost seems to be a prerequisite for a player to speak Spanish. Most of the current clay court specialists are Spanish, including of course the current holder, Majorcan left-hander Rafael Nadal, who has won five times in six appearances.

French success: Since the war, only Nelly Landry (1948), Françoise Durr (1967) and Mary Pierce (2000) among the women, together with Marcel Bernard (1946) and Yannick Noah (1983) in the men's event, have lifted the supreme title.

Comments

How did Roland-Garros come to be? Why is it named after an aviator? In what year was the tournament first held?

The late 1970s and early 1980s were a magical era for tennis in general, and Roland-Garros in particular.

To win at Roland Garros, it almost seems to be a prerequisite for a player to speak Spanish. Most of the current clay court specialists are Spanish, including of course the current holder, Majorcan left-hander Rafael Nadal, who has won five times in six appearances.

French success: Since the war, only Nelly Landry (1948), Françoise Durr (1967) and Mary Pierce (2000) among the women, together with Marcel Bernard (1946) and Yannick Noah (1983) in the men's event, have lifted the supreme title.